More and more, I have people asking me about camera equipment, settings, photo editing software and even my arrangements with bands. I try to be as helpful as possible, but theres one point I dont make that I probably should. Theres no combination of equipment, settings and software that will make someones photos look like mine, and my arrangements with both bands and the websites I shoot for are based upon how my photos look. Despite having invested thousands of dollars in equipment and having shot countless bands in venues all over Long Island, NYC and NJ, if youve ever seen me shoot, youve probably seen me swaping lenses, adjusting settings and moving around - a lot. Thats because theres no magic combination of equipment and settings that enable me to take the photos I want, and even that is only part of what I do. When I get home from shooting, I spend hours pulling out a small percentage of shots from all of the ones I took and then edit them to make them look the way they do. Even if someone had the same equipment, settings and software that I use (and Im sure many do, or comparable equivalents), their photos would no more look like mine than if I picked up someones guitar, bass, mic or drumsticks and tried to sound like them. Theres still variables like timing, composition and aesthetics that are as individual to me as the way a musician plays an instrument, or a vocalist sings a song. Unlike in Staples commercials, theres no easy button. Believe me, I wish there were.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Jun 2014 22:28:57 +0000